A summit defined by depth, candour and capability
Many conferences promise brave conversations. The 2025 MSIA Members Summit, held at Eucalyptus Sydney on 20 November, delivered them. More than 200 digital health leaders gathered for a day of unusually frank and technically detailed discussion on the future of Australia’s health system.
Medical Software Industry Association (MSIA) President Robert Best and CEO Emma Hossack opened proceedings, followed by virtual addresses from the Hon Mark Butler and the Hon Sam Rae MP. From the outset, the tone was clear. This was a room where people did not just talk about reform. They interrogated it.
Hossack reflected on the nature of the dialogue: “The collegiate but frank relationship the MSIA has built for its members with key stakeholders was on display at the Summit. Sensitive areas of procurement and funding were asked with no holds barred fair come backs.”
She also highlighted the sector’s growing sophistication:
“The sophistication of presentations and questions is far beyond what is normally encountered at health and digital conferences. The result is deep dives rather than snorkelling over the surface.”
One attendee summarised it simply: “It was clear how much strategic thought, care and capability went into the day. I have been to a lot of events this year, and it is one of the best.”
The calibre of speakers
The calibre of speakers reinforced the seriousness of the conversations. Senior leaders from the Department of Health and Aged Care, the Australian Digital Health Agency, major universities, cybersecurity and AI specialists, economists and digital health innovators contributed perspectives that pushed the dialogue well beyond surface commentary. This was not a program of high-level vision statements. It was a day shaped by experts who work at the coalface of reform, bringing technical depth, policy clarity and practical experience. It was designed for depth and it delivered.
MSIA’s role, an independent voice when it matters most
As the peak body representing Australia’s health software vendors, MSIA plays a critical role in translating policy into practical, operational reality for primary care, hospitals, aged care, diagnostics and more.
Best illustrated this with the recent SPAM regulation changes, a reform that posed a significant threat to digital health workflows.
“It would have had a disastrous effect on digital health including eReferrals, ePrescribing, hospital outpatients and test results. Our swift call to action which tapped into our relationship with Government and colleagues at other peak bodies including the ANMF, PGA and RAGP meant the date was extended to 1 July 2026.”
It was a clear example of MSIA’s influence. Early identification of risk, rapid mobilisation and coordinated advocacy across government and national peak bodies made the extension possible. It also illustrated the value of longstanding relationships built on trust and credibility.
Digital maturity, moving beyond symbolic debates
A single observation added a moment of pause. Seventy five per cent of remaining fax users in Australia are in healthcare (Australian Digital Health Agency, 2024). The figure was striking, not because it signalled stubbornness, but because it underscored the complexity of digital maturity.
Hossack encouraged the industry to move beyond simplistic narratives about “fax machines versus digital systems”:
“Our focus should be ironing out UX issues, confronting trust issues and, in some cases, realising that a back up terrestrial system is not a bad thing.”
Digital maturity is not an ideological position. It is an ecosystem of usability, trust, safety and resilience. Anyone who has kept a handwritten master password tucked away for emergencies understands the logic.
Read more: For a deeper look at how clinicians are adopting technology pragmatically, from AI scribes to virtual front doors, revisit our feature: The technology shaping healthcare in Australia: Veri talks healthtech with Peter Birch.
Interoperability, investment not aspiration
Interoperability dominated Australian Health Digital Agency (ADHA) led sessions, reflecting a national expectation that Australia’s health system must become meaningfully connected.
The message was consistent. The barrier is not belief in interoperability. It is the lack of funding to support implementation.
Best captured it succinctly: “Implementation, education and deployment should be funded. It is a massive impost on industry and must be recognised by the Government as a core skill peculiar to our members who should be resourced to provide it.”
Interoperability is specialist capability. It requires technical labour, onboarding, testing, training and long term maintenance. Without funding, transformation remains aspirational rather than operational.
AI with confidence: governance as an enabler
AI was approached with a balance of ambition and caution. Across legal, technical and ethical discussions, speakers emphasised transparency, explainability and the need for trust.
Best highlighted two frameworks now guiding the sector:
Together these frameworks strengthen trust and accelerate innovation.
“The MSIA applauds the national Plan for AI. We developed a companion Voluntary Code for AI Governance in health which covers non-regulated software, together with the MTAA.
The certainty both these guides bring to industry provide tremendous impetus to investment and user confidence.”
Read more: For readers exploring the growing leadership responsibilities around cybersecurity and data protection, see Governance in the digital era: why data protection is now every leader’s responsibility.
Looking forward, where software providers should focus next
Major reforms, including My Health Record modernisation, the Aged Care Act and the National Digital Health Strategy, will continue to shape expectations for vendors.
Hossack offered direct advice to industry: “Making sure that they are meeting the market and make time to continue their client roadmaps. Our job is to ensure that conformance and regulation does not overstep what is strictly necessary for safety, security and UX.”
The message was clear. Government sets the guardrails. Industry drives innovation. Reform must prioritise usability, safety and trust.
Read more: For leaders following aged care reform, revisit our Aged Care Act 2024 guide.
The bottom line
The 2025 MSIA Members Summit signalled a shift in the sector’s maturity. Australia’s digital health community is moving beyond high level vision statements into the more necessary work of designing trust centred systems, funding capability, strengthening governance and aligning policy with practical reality.
Across interoperability, AI, cybersecurity, reform and digital maturity, one theme stood out. Progress depends on collaboration between government, industry and peak bodies, and a willingness to go deeper than surface level debate.
Veri Health was proud to attend and be part of these national conversations. When the sector leans into candour, capability and collaboration, the whole system moves forward.
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